“We believe that our approach to the UAE through the UK government is a realistic approach and we hope it can come to a positive conclusion,” Enzo Casolini, Eurofighter’s chief executive, said in Abu Dhabi this week.

The British are offering industry participation. A metal piece that links the fighter’s engine to the fuselage is being manufactured in the UAE. The Typhoon is developed by a consortium of BAE, Finmeccanica and EADS.

“Making a deal with Eurofighter means you would have three corporate companies which are the biggest in Europe. This is a huge opportunity for industrial participation,” said Casolini.

Industry experts and firms who have done business with the UAE say it may wait to see which manufacturers land $11 billion in fighter jet deals with Brazil and South Korea, expected in the first half of this year, before making their own call.

Saudi Arabia and Oman both have orders for Typhoons while Dassault is striving to ink a first sale for the Rafales. Both fighter jets waged combat missions in Libya in 2011.